The Tolman Collection | Celebrating the 850th anniversary of Zojoji with an expansive collection of woodblock prints by Clifton KARHU | Tokyo | Oct 1 – Nov 14
October 1 – November 14, 2022
木版画家クリフトン・カーフ生誕95周年記念
Celebrating the 850th anniversary of Zojoji with an expansive collection of woodblock prints by Clifton KARHU
The Tolman Collection
In-Person Viewing:
Zojoji Temple, Daiden lobby lounge, 4-7-35 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Virtual Viewing:
https://tolmantokyo.com/exhibitions/hamanishi-katsunori-exhibition/
My great neighbor, The Zojoji Temple, occupies a monumental portion of land right in the middle of Tokyo’s Minato-ku and just looking at it is one of the most outstanding experiences of my daily life as I pass it going to and coming from my gallery each day.
The fact that this sacred temple has proudly occupied this space for 850 years and is now celebrating the commemoration of its long history has come to be of special interest to me since I have been invited to help observe the event by the monks of the Temple.
In speaking of an event commemorating 850 years time, my Tolman Collection’s relationship with the Temple is not long at all. However, to me, it is of note that it was our gallery’s very first major event, in 1980, arranged as its first activity as an art gallery with an exhibition of the prints and paintings of Toko Shinoda (1913 – 2021). Over these 50 years our gallery has created other important exhibitions in the presence of Shinoda’s paintings, including her major work, a 28 meter long masterpiece – ‘Past Present Future’ 1974 which graces the temple’s lower level.
This time, in order to celebrate the Temple’s anniversary, I felt it would be interesting based on staging exhibits of Shinoda works, that we mount a major display of many of the woodblock prints of a completely different artist, American-born Clifton Karhu – we have presented one woodblock print showing the main Temple itself, by Clifton Karhu (1927- 2007).
From October 1st – November 14th, the Temple will exhibit Karhu’s woodblock prints offering for sale a wide selection of prints showing the long arc of his artistic career. The Karhu woodblock pieces will be offered for purchase during the exhibition.
